Track-sanding apparatus.



UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. DOLAN, JR., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,539, dated December22, 1903.

Application'filed March 4, 1903.

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. DOLAN, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Track- Sanding Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track-sanding apparatus ofthat class in which the discharge of sand from the sand-box is effectedby fluid-pressure, such as air or steam, controlled by the engineer inthe locomotivecab.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction ofsanding apparatus of this character in which the sand is sucked from thesand-box by the blast of air or steam.

The invention consists of certain constructions, arrangements, andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which--.

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View of a sand-box provided withan'improved tracksanding apparatus of my invention. Fig. 2 is anenlarged Vertical longitudinal section illustrating one of the sanders.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a shield hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates a locomotive sand-boxprovided at diametrically opposite points with dischargeopenings in eachof which is secured a shield B, com prising a plate b, rigidly securedto the sand-box, and an inwardly-extending sleeve 1), whose inner edgeis preferably formed with a downwardly-facing bevel b The said shield Bis also provided at its outer end with an interior enlargement 12 whichis interiorly threaded and which forms at its innermost face a shoulderb. In the said threaded interior enlargement of each shield'is secured asand-casingiO, provided with an exteriorlyscrew-threaded portion aengaging the screwthread of the said enlargement and prevented fromaccidentally unscrewing therefrom by means of a nut-lock d, which jamsagainst the plate b and. makes a tight construction and strengthens thebox, and said casing is also provided with a feed-tube 0, preferablyprojecting into the sleeve 19 of the shield B to prevent the sleeve fromwearing and spaced Serial No. 14:6.062. (No model.)

or ofiset therefrom to give sufficient clearance for preventing the sandfrom packing around the tube, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, andpreferably having an upwardly-facing bevel c at its inner edge. Beyondthat portion of the casing O which is secured to the shield B the saidcasing is provided, on its under side with a depressed sand-outlet 0from which extends a downwardly-inclined" sanddischarge tube 6, and fromthe outer end of the said casing leads a downwardly-extendingfluid-pressure tube f, which joins with the sand-discharge tube 6, bothof said tubes 6 and f being in turn joined to a pipe g, common to bothand extending down to the trackrail. Each casing C-is also provided onits upper side and at a point beyond its sandoutlet 0 with a nipple 71.,having at its lower end a nozzle i, deflected outwardly from thesand-box, and a pipe Z, leading from the source of fluid-pressuresupply, is connected, preferably by a swivel-nut m, to said nipple. Itwill be seen that the nozzle t' has position between thedownwardly-inclined sand-dis charge tube e and the fluid-pressure tubef.

When a blast of air or steam is blown through said outwardly-deflectednozzle 2', it will draw or suck the sand that is in thebox through thefeed-tube o, whence it will pass through the outlet 0 and fall throughthe sand-tube e, and thence it enters the pipe g and there meets theblast of air or steam passing through the fluid-pressure tube f, beingthen driven by the said air or steam and being thereby accelerated inits passage to the track-rail. By this construction it will be seen thatthe sand is first sucked by the draft created in the front of it anddeposited in the tube (2, and then as it passes from the said tube veinto the pipe g the fluid-pressure will propel the sand infront of itand will also create a downward draft at the lower end of the tube e andsuck the sand from that tube into the pipe g. Thus it will be seen thatthe sand is sucked from the box and dropped'into the tube 6 and thensucked from the tube e into the pipe g.

It is sometimes necessary to unscrew the casings G and withdraw the samefrom the sand-box in order to remove any obstructions that might havefound their way into the sand-passage or for other reasons, and for thiscontingency, so that the sand may not then flow out of the sand-box andbe wasted, I have provided the two shields B, whose sleeves surround theinwardly extending feed-tubes o. By this construction and arrangement,when the said feed-tubes are withdrawn in the act of disconnecting thecasings from the sand-box, the said sleeves will efiectually prevent anywasting of sand from the box. The downwardly-facing bevel of the innerend of the sleeve provides that the sand sucked out will be drawn fromthe bottom of the sand-box and at the same time causes said sleeve topresent to the sand a longer surface on its upper side than it would ifits entrant-openin g were not so beveled, thereby more effectuallypreventing the sand from falling into said opening.

The lower portion of the interior shoulder b at the outermost end of thesleeve 1) presents a surface against which any sand that might find itsway into the sleeve will bank and be prevented from escaping from thebox. When the casings are disconnected or broken off by accident, theopenings in the shields may be closed by any well-known way, such as byplugs, (not shown,) to prevent moisture from entering and affecting thesand. As one way of closing the said openings I have shown in Fig. 2 anautomatic coverm, which is pivoted at any suitable point to theapparatus and which rests normally on the casing, so that it will dropdown tightly over the discharge-opening of the sand-box if the casing isdisconnected or broken off, and said cover may be raised to hold itselfout of the way when desired.

It is to be especially noted that the construction of easingO,hereinbefore described, with its two tubes e and f, provide separatepassages for the blast of air or steam and the sand and that the nozzlet is located in the case at a point beyond the sand-outlet. Hence thesaid nozzle, nor that part of the casing which contains it, will notbecome worn by the contact of sand therewith, because,'although somesand may be drawn with the blast out through the fluid-pressure tube f,yet only the lighter and least harmful particles of the sand will be sodrawn, while the heavier particles and gravel and the major portion ofthe sand discharged will drop through the outlet 0 and not come incontact with said nozzle.

While the accompanying drawings'illustrate my invention embodied in asingle sander-that is, one designated to convey sand to the track-railsonly in front of the driving-wheels-it is to be understood that it isequally applicable for a double, triple, or quadruple sander.Furthermore, while the accompanying drawings show the tubes 6 and fandthe pipe g integral with the casing it is manifest that these parts maybe made separately and connnected together, and it is also to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the portion or length ofsleeve 1) shown nor to the bevels b 0 that the part of the shield B towhich the casing is secured may be longer than shown, so that the casingwill have position farther away from the sandbox; that it will notdepart from the scope of the invention to change the position or angleof the casings and their shields from the horizontal position shown, andthat other changes may be made in the details of construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

As shown in Fig. 2, the interior of the casing is provided with aprojection t at the far side of the sand-outlet, which projection willact as a braker to more effectually prevent any sand from being drawnout through the air-tubefand to direct it into the sand-tube e, and, asalso shown in Fig. 2, the inner end of the feed-tube c is provided witha lip 0 which contracts the end of said tube, so that the sand will notenter the same too freely.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A track-sanding device provided with a sand-inlet and afluid-pressure inlet and also having a sand-outlet which is interposedbetween said two inlets.

2. A track sander comprising a casing adapted to be secured to asand-box and provided atone end with a feed-tube; in combination with afluid-pressure feed device for sucking the sand through said feed-tube,and a sand-discharge tube opening into said feedtube between itsentrance and said fluid-pressure feed device.

3. A track-sanding device provided with a sand-inlet and a fluid-pressure outlet and also having a sand-outlet which is interposedbetween said sand-inlet and said fluid-pressure outlet.

4. A track-sanding device provided with a sand-inlet and afluid-pressure outlet and having a sand-outlet between said sand-inletand fluid-pressure outlet and a fluid-pressure inlet between the sand-outlet and the fluid-pressure outlet.

5. A track-sander comprising a casing provided in its bottom with asand-outlet; a sanddischarge tube leadin g from said sand-outlet; afluid-pressure tube extending downwardly from said casing at a pointbeyond said sandoutlet; a pipe designed to lead, to the track andconnected to both of said tubes; and an outwardly-deflectedfluid-pressure nozzle in said casing between the upper end of saidfluid-pressure tube and the said sand-outlet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN J. DOLAN, JR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, J r., G. FERDINAND Vocr.

ICC

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